Every Power Can Be Exploited
by pingo1387
Summary: Brook has an ability that he intends to put to good use - with Nami's help. One-shot.


Brook sat on the couch in the men's room, pondering. The skeleton had a skill that he had gained over the two-year separation, one that the crew didn't know about. Not that he was keeping it _secret_ . . . he simply hadn't gotten around to telling them.

He _would_ tell them, of course, just not right away. If all went well, he could have some fun with this power before the others discovered it.

Brook lay onto his back and his soul literally floated out of his body. Looking down on his gray and soulless shell, he pulled upwards hard and disconnected the channel between body and soul.

This disconnection, as far as Brook could tell, could be kept up for approximately two hours, after which it became increasingly difficult to return to his body—what was left of his body, anyway.

Brook (as a soul) floated through the door and spotted Luffy and Usopp playing with marbles. He decided to take his power on a test run first, as he hadn't practiced it in a few months.

Soul Brook silently floated along the ship's railing, just outside it, keeping out of sight. When he reached Luffy and Usopp, he floated through the ship straight into Usopp's torso.

Usopp shivered. Luffy looked up with a frown. "What's up, Usopp? It's not cold out . . ."

"I-I dunno," Usopp said, rubbing his arms. "I felt something cold all of a sudden . . ."

With a silent apology to the sniper, Soul Brook concentrated on filling up Usopp's entire body. Usopp shivered more violently—and suddenly his eyes rolled up in his head and he went limp, sagging against the side of the ship.

Luffy frowned. "Usopp? Are you okay?"

Brook was now in control of Usopp's body. Brook/Usopp opened his eyes, sat up, blinked hard, and experimentally flexed his fingers.

"Usopp? What's wrong?"

"Ah . . . nothing, nothing," Brook/Usopp said quickly. He stood up, stumbled, and said, "I need to go see Sanji-_sa_—Sanji about something. I'll be back soon."

Luffy scratched his head as he left, shrugged, and started trying to juggle the marbles.

Brook/Usopp went for the kitchen and entered, where he found Sanji examining a recipe book.

"Ah, Sanji-_san_, I'm glad I found you!" he exclaimed.

Sanji looked up and frowned. "Go away, Usopp," he said. "I already told you, no more Tabasco sauce."

"Forgive me, Sanji-_san_, but the person you're talking to currently isn't Usopp," Brook/Usopp said cheerfully.

Sanji stared at him. "Um . . . if this is some sort of joke, it's not a very good one."

"Yo-ho-ho-ho," Brook/Usopp chuckled. "This situation probably won't tickle your funny bone, Sanji-_san_—but as for me, all of my bones were exposed from the start!" he flexed an arm and glanced at it. "Well, at least they _were _. . ."

Sanji's mouth dropped open. "No _way_," he said disbelievingly. "_Brook_?"

"The one and only!"

Sanji came around the counter and stared. "You look _exactly_ like Usopp."

"In a way, I am," Brook/Usopp said cheerfully. "Let's sit down and I shall explain . . ."

* * *

><p>"I see," Sanji said, taking a drag from a cigarette. "So you can possess someone's body temporarily, and they don't remember anything when you leave?"<p>

"Correct."

Sanji blew out the smoke and grinned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Brook/Usopp chuckled. "I hope so! I'll tell you what, I'll leave Usopp-_san_'s body and return soon . . . in another form, of course."

Sanji nodded eagerly. "Take your time. I'll get the camera ready." Then he frowned. "By the way, you're not making any expressions."

"Ah—" Brook/Usopp said, realizing. He attempted a smile. "Better?"

"Better."

Soul Brook carefully slipped out of Usopp's body, making sure his exit wasn't too sudden. As he swept out of the room silently, Usopp awoke and looked around.

"Uh . . . Sanji?" he said confusedly. "Why—how did I get here?"

Sanji shrugged. "Maybe you were sleepwalking?"

Usopp simply looked confused. "Um . . . okay . . . I'm going back out now."

And he too left the kitchen, scratching his head in confusion.

* * *

><p>Nami and Robin were in their room. Robin was on the bed reading while Nami worked on something at the desk. Neither noticed Soul Brook slipping into the room—though of course he was hidden inside the walls. He had briefly returned to his own body so as to 'reset' the time limit on the separation.<p>

As Nami set down her pen to stretch, Soul Brook floated underneath the desk and into Nami's body. She shivered violently; Robin looked up curiously just as Brook sent a silent apology to Nami and she went limp in her chair.

A moment later and Brook was in control of her body. He/she sat up, looked around, and stood.

"Are you alright, Nami-_chan_?" Robin asked, watching her worriedly.

"I'm just fine," Brook/Nami replied. "I'm going to get some fresh air outside."

He/she left. Robin returned to her book.

Brook/Nami entered the kitchen, where Sanji was eagerly waiting with a camera. "Well?" he asked.

Brook/Nami grinned. "It's me, Sanji-_san_! The plan is working!"

"Great!" Sanji exclaimed. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Wait, this doesn't hurt Nami-_swan_, right?"

"Not at all," Brook/Nami replied.

"Okay, good. Let's start!"

* * *

><p>The two ended up taking at least fifty photos of Nami in different poses. Neither, however, had dared to go so far as taking off her underwear.<p>

"Damn, it's out of film," Sanji said disappointedly. "Let's get some more at our next stop."

Brook/Nami stretched and nodded. "I shall go . . . return Nami-_san_'s body. Sanji-_san_, you should probably hide the pictures in the meantime."

Sanji started stuffing the photos into a drawer while Brook/Nami left the room. He/she spotted Robin reclining against the deck and tried to stay out of sight while heading back to the girls' room.

Once there, Brook/Nami sat back at the desk, and Soul Brook quietly left Nami's body. As he floated back to his own body, still on the couch in the men's room (by some happy coincidence, no one had discovered it laying there), Nami awoke. She looked around, confused. After a moment she sighed and went back to work.

Robin came back in the room not long after Nami returned. "Hello," she said with a smile. "You certainly looked like you were having fun in there. Those were some creative poses."

Nami stared at her. "What? Wait, when did you leave the room?"

Robin shrugged. "I left not long ago to get a bit of sun. I thought you saw me on the deck, but perhaps I was mistaken."

Nami frowned. "What are you talking about? I've been in here since lunch."

Now Robin frowned. "About an hour ago, you said that you were going to get some fresh air. You didn't come back after a while, so I looked around the ship and I briefly saw—forgive me—you and Sanji in the kitchen. I looked away once I realized what you two were up to, so don't worry."

"An hour ago?" Nami said in alarm. She seized the clock standing on the desk and stared at it. "No way . . . I looked a few minutes ago and it was still 3 PM!"

Robin narrowed her eyes. "What happened around that time, then?"

Nami's forehead creased in worry. "I . . . I put down my pen, and I felt cold all of a sudden . . . and I guess I must've fainted. I only came to a minute ago."

Robin sat on her bed. "That's odd. You did seem to faint, but you stood up almost immediately afterwards and said you were going outside, so I didn't think much of it."

Nami put her head in her hands. "What is going _on_?"

Robin thought. "Give me a moment."

She closed her eyes and crossed her arms. In the kitchen, she saw Sanji and Brook talking about something and holding a camera. With a well-placed ear, she heard them say something about film.

"I have an idea," she said slowly. "It's not very solid, and frankly I doubt it's true . . . but it's possible."

"What is it?" Nami asked hopefully.

Robin shook her head. "I have to check to be sure. If I turn out to be wrong, I wouldn't want you to hurt the wrong people."

Nami frowned and opened her mouth, but Robin plowed on.

"For now, trust me on this," she said. "We need to set up a password."

* * *

><p>The next day the crew briefly stopped at an island to pick up supplies. Robin carefully observed Sanji and Brook purchasing camera film.<p>

After they had been run off of the island due to Luffy's and Usopp's antics, they quickly set sail. Nami and Robin went back to their room.

"Just sit at the desk," Robin instructed. "Wait for it to happen. I'll take care of things from there."

Nami looked nervous but nodded. Not long after this, Soul Brook slipped into the room unseen and entered Nami's body.

She shivered. "I-It's cold . . ."

And she slumped over the desk. After only a moment, Brook/Nami sat up and stood.

"Where are you going, Nami-_chan_?" Robin asked calmly.

"I'm going to walk around the ship for a bit," Brook/Nami replied. "I shall be back soon."

Robin stood and planted herself in front of the door. "Pinwheel," she said.

Brook/Nami blinked. "Pardon?"

"Pinwheel," Robin repeated.

"Er . . ." Brook/Nami said, confused. "Well, if that's all, I'll be on my way . . ."

"Wrong answer," Robin said, and swiftly seized Brook/Nami's arms and held him/her against the wall.

He/she struggled. "R-Robin-_sa_—Robin, what are you doing!?"

"Excuse me for a moment," Robin said. She continued to pin the struggling Brook/Nami against the wall with a couple of hands while she closed her eyes and crossed her arms.

A minute later, Sanji knocked and entered, saying, "Robin-_chwan_, you wanted to see me?"

He spotted Brook/Nami being held against the wall and stared. "What—? Nami-_swan_?"

Robin made the arms from the wall vanish and Brook/Nami's arms dropped. "W-What's wrong?" he/she asked nervously.

Robin sat on her bed. "Both of you get over here."

They attempted to sit next to her, but she sternly pointed to the spot ahead of her. They sat on the floor instead and looked up expectantly.

"Really," she said, shaking her head, "Brook, Sanji, I would have expected better from you two."

They glanced at each other. "Brook?" Brook/Nami asked innocently.

"I imagine that if I went to the men's room right now," Robin said, "I would find Brook's soulless body. Isn't that right?"

They glanced at each other again.

"That's what I thought," Robin said coolly. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"I-It was just some harmless fun, Robin-_san_," Brook said meekly.

"Nami-_swan_ isn't hurt," Sanji added.

Robin stared at them both. "She was very scared and confused yesterday after you returned her body."

Both of them looked very guilty at this.

"And besides that," Robin continued, "using her body without permission or knowledge like this? That is one of the most _ungentlemanly_ things I have _ever_ seen."

Brook/Nami and Sanji immediately looked horrified when she said this, as if they had just had their entire world yanked out from underneath their feet.

"Oh god, I'm so _sorry_," Sanji wailed, prostrating himself before Robin.

"We must repent for our sins!" Brook/Nami cried, doing the same.

"Oh, get up," Robin said sternly. They lifted their heads and looked at her anxiously.

"I'll tell you how you can 'repent'," Robin said. "This is what you're going to do: First, Brook, get out of Nami-_chan_'s body. You come back here in your own body, and _both_ of you are going to tell her _exactly_ what happened and apologize. Also, you have to give her the photos. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Robin-_chwan_," Sanji mumbled shamefacedly.

Brook/Nami nodded and Soul Brook left her body, floating out the door towards the men's room. Nami's body slumped to the floor and she awoke a few seconds later, looking around.

"How did I get here?" she asked. "Robin, what happened? Sanji-_kun_, when did you get here?"

"Hello, Nami-_swan_," Sanji mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

Brook, back in his body, entered the room, ducking underneath the door frame. "Er . . . Sanji-_san_ and I have something to tell you, Nami-_san_ . . ."

* * *

><p>Dinner was set out on the table when the crew filed in to eat. Everyone showed up except for Brook, Sanji, and Chopper.<p>

"Where are they?" Luffy asked, looking around.

"Chopper's taking care of them in the infirmary," Robin replied. "They've been severely injured."

"What!?" Usopp yelled. "Who hurt them!?"

"They deserved it," Nami snapped.

"It was you!?"

"I'll explain later," she said, glaring at him. "I'm not really in the mood to do it right now."

"Well, they did apologize," Robin said quietly, "and you did get compensation. Wasn't that all the money they had?"

"True," Nami said, brightening.

"Whatever they did, remind me to never do it," Franky muttered.

"Nami's scary," Luffy mumbled.


End file.
